OEGAKIC COIilPOimDS CONTAINING BOEON. 
173 
slight oxidation of the boric ethide during the necessary manipulations affords a suffi- 
cient explanation of the deficiency in the amounts of carbon and hydrogen exhibited by 
the analysis. I should, however, have made renewed attempts to obtain this body in a 
state of greater purity, had not the investigation of the corresponding crystalline methyl 
compound described below, left no doubt that the formula above given expresses the 
composition of ammonia-boric ethide. 
Ammonia-boric ethide is a somewhat oily liquid, possessing an aromatic odour and an 
alkaline reaction. Carbonic acid has no action upon it, even in the presence of water, 
but other acids decompose it instantly and liberate boric ethide. When it is exposed to 
a measured quantity of atmospheric air, there is scarcely any perceptible absorption of 
oxygen even after the lapse of several hours. 
JBoric Bioxy ethide. 
W’hen boric ethide is placed in a flask and allowed to oxidize gradually, first in dry air 
and finally in dry oxygen, it forms a colourless liquid, which boils at 125° C,, but cannot 
be distilled under atmospheric pressure without partial decomposition. At the ordinary 
temperature, this product of oxidation evaporates without residue in a stream of dry 
carbonic acid. It can be distilled in mcuo without decomposition, and a portion so 
rectified yielded on analysis the following results : — 
I. •2681 grm., burnt with oxide of copper and oxygen, gave ‘5359 grm. carbonic acid 
and -2720 grm. water. 
II. ’2246 grm., similarly treated, gave "4376 grm. carbonic acid and -2303 grm. water. 
Owing to the causes already mentioned, the complete combustion of this body was 
very difiicult, nevertheless the above numbers agree sufficiently well with the formula 
B(C4H5)3 04 , 
as is evident from the following comparison : — 
Calculated. E ound. 
Ci2 . 
t 
. . 72-0 
55-42 
r 
I. 
54-52 
1 
II. 
55-10 
H,5. 
. . 15-0 
11-54 
11-27 
11-92 
B . 
O 4 . 
. . 10-9 
. . 32-0 
129-0 
8-39 
24-65 
100-00 
I regard this liquid as a compound of vinic ether, with a body having the formula 
and derived from boracic acid by the substitution of one equivalent of ethyl for one of 
oxygen. For this body the name boric dioxy ethide is appropriate, whilst its ethereal 
